Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/18
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: OL Billy Turner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: OL Jordan Devey
Oakland Raiders
- Waived: LS Bradley Northnagel
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: DB Akeem King
WR Terrelle Pryor To Visit Seahawks
Terrelle Pryor will be meeting with the Seahawks tomorrow, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com also has details on the visit. The reporter notes that quarterback Russell Wilson is “recruiting him hard.”
We heard earlier this week that the Seahawks (along with the Rams) had some interest in the versatile receiver. The Browns have also been connected to their former player.
After being converted to receiver, Pryor had a breakout campaign in 2016, hauling in 77 catches for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns. He also compiled 21 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries. This performance earned him a one-year, $8MM deal from the Redskins, but he ultimately disappointed during his stint in Washington.
In nine games (two starts), Pryor had 20 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 109th among 166 receiver candidates, a far cry from his above-average grade in 2017. Still, Pryor did enough to earn the 19th spot on our list of the top remaining free agents.
Seattle already lost Paul Richardson to Washington. The Seahawks are still rostering a number of wideouts, including Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, and the recently-signed Jaron Brown.
Seahawks Sign Maurice Alexander
The Seahawks have signed safety Maurice Alexander, passes along Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The defensive back was released by the Rams last October and subsequently met with Seattle. While he didn’t ink a deal back then, the two have agreed to deal this time around.
The 27-year-old had spent his entire four-year career with the Rams organization. Following a career season in 2016 that saw him compile 38 tackles, one sack, and two interceptions, the former fourth-rounder took a drastic step back in 2017.
Alexander finished the campaign with 13 tackles in four games (four starts). He was ultimately released by the organization in October, and he sat out for the remainder of the season.
Jaron Brown Signs With Seahawks
Former Cardinals wide receiver Jaron Brown will have a new home in 2018 after he signed with division-rival Seattle on Friday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Brown, 28, posted the best season of his career in 2017 by registering 31 receptions for 477 yards and four touchdowns. He also has considerable special teams experience, though he played on only a third of Arizona’s special teams snaps in 2017.
The fifth-year receiver should slot in as the No. 3 wideout in Seattle, behind Doug Baldwin and speedy Tyler Lockett. The move leaves the Cardinals with a thinning wide receiver corps behind future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald. Brown was the second pass catcher, joining John Brown, to sign with another team in the early offseason.
[RELATED: Seahawks Depth Chart]
Vikings Sign Sheldon Richardson
The Vikings have now landed premier free agents on both sides of the ball. Sheldon Richardson has agreed to a one-year deal with Minnesota, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Richardson’s deal includes an $8MM base salary and $3MM more in available incentives.
The Vikings were the only team known to have met with Richardson and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. The Vikings wined and dined Richardson a bit on Friday and pitched him with new quarterback Kirk Cousins in tow.
The Vikings used much of their cap space on Cousins, but they still had enough left to sign one of the most talented defensive linemen in this year’s free agent crop, thanks in part to the restructuring of Latavius Murray‘s deal. The 27-year-old (28 in November) had just one sack last season, but the advanced metrics showed that he was still starting caliber, even in a down year.
Richardson did his best work with the Jets, particularly in 2014 when he racked up eight sacks. His production was a bit up-and-down as he was moved at times from defensive tackle to the outside and even to linebacker, but he was a consistent threat.
Richardson, presumably, was after a multi-year deal, but the one-year pact with Minnesota will give him a chance to rebuild his value and potentially cash in next March. He joins an already stacked Vikings D and will pair with Linval Joseph in the middle. Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen will serve as the starting bookends with Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Ben Gedeon filling out the front seven.
The Seahawks have now lost two high-profile defensive linemen in Richardson and Michael Bennett (via trade with the Eagles), but Richardson’s departure should at least net them some return in compensatory picks.
[RELATED: Vikings Depth Chart]
Seahawks Interested In DT Tom Johnson
Vikings free agent defensive tackle Tom Johnson is scheduled to meet with the Seahawks on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Johnson reportedly also has drawn interest from the Raiders and Bills. 
The Vikings are trying to hammer out a deal with Seahawks free agent Sheldon Richardson, but it has been said that they would like to retain Johnson as well. The Vikings and Johnson might not see eye-to-eye on his value, however. Johnson asked for a one-year, $4MM extension last season, but the Vikings refused. If Johnson can get an equivalent deal elsewhere, he might be a goner.
The Seahawks would like to keep Richardson, but it appears that they will not be able to keep up with the outside bidding for him. Johnson can help fill that void, though he can’t personally replace his production.
Johnson has 16 sacks to his credit over the last four seasons. He’ll celebrate his 34th birthday in August, so he’s probably looking at a one-year deal.
Seahawks Meet With WR Markus Wheaton
Former Steelers and Bears wide receiver Markus Wheaton is visiting the Seahawks, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Seahawks are on the lookout for pass catchers after losing tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Paul Richardson in free agency.
Last March, Wheaton inked a two-year contract with the Bears worth$11MM with $5MM guaranteed. That deal turned out to be a bust and Chicago released him earlier this week along with quarterback Mike Glennon and cornerback Marcus Cooper, two other free agent signings from 2017 that did not pan out.
Wheaton, 27, has registered just 51 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. However, he had more than 40 receptions for the Steelers in both 2014 and 2015.
Wheaton could be a low-risk, high-reward pickup for Seattle, and that’s exactly the kind of signing they need as they are working with limited cap space. At the moment, the Seahawks have Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, and the newly acquired Marcus Johnson as their top three receivers, as shown on Roster Resource. Seattle has also shown interest in Cardinals free agent receiver Jaron Brown.
Seahawks To Sign TE Ed Dickson
The Seahawks have signed tight end Ed Dickson, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year deal with a maximum value of $14MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Dickson currently projects to take over as the Seahawks’ starting tight end following Jimmy Graham‘s departure in free agency. Graham signed a much more lucrative three-year deal with the Packers earlier this week.
The Panthers were hoping to re-sign Dickson, but they bowed out of the bidding on Friday morning. The Panthers will now search for a new No. 2 tight end to slot behind star Greg Olsen and that endeavor effectively could result in a tight end swap between Carolina and Seattle. The Panthers have interest in Seahawks free agent Luke Willson and met with him earlier this week.
At present, Seattle’s tight end depth chart is comprised of Dickson, Nick Vannett, and 2017 undrafted free agent Tyrone Swoopes.
Extra Points: DRC, Redskins, Maxwell
Free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says he’s in no rush to make a decision in free agency. Right now, he’s hoping to make a decision “in April sometime” (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson).
Rodgers-Cromartie visited with the Redskins and had a meeting scheduled with the Saints, but it seems that New Orleans lost interest after signing fellow corner Patrick Robinson. The Redskins could still use an addition to their cornerback group, but it’s possible that their offer was not to DRC’s liking. Or, perhaps no offer was made.
Before he was released by the Giants, DRC reportedly agreed to play safety in 2018. That could be a solution for him if his market continues to stall.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- As teams try to hold onto their own players, two to watch: The Redskins are working to keep outside linebacker Junior Galette and the Seahawks are doing the same with cornerback Byron Maxwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). We had Galette ranked as a top-12 edge rusher heading into free agency. Maxwell did not make the top 15 at his position due to his decline in performance and the depth of this year’s CB crop.
- Linebacker Demario Davis says the Jets didn’t make him an offer before he signed with the Saints. “The shocking thing was the Jets didn’t make me an offer, so that made my decision easy because all I had to do was look at the contenders,” Davis said (via Rod Walker of The Advocate). “It would have been something to weigh. The hardest decision isn’t where to go, but deciding if you want to go or stay. So I didn’t have to make that decision so that was the peaceful thing about it. I was able to just weight my options objectively.” Things worked out just fine for Davis as he signed a three-year, $24MM deal with New Orleans.
- The Dolphins have been talking with agent Drew Rosenhaus about re-signing offensive tackle Sam Young, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. If retained, Young would return as Miami’s third offensive tackle.
Latest On TE Ed Dickson
The Panthers are out of the bidding for tight end Ed Dickson, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dickson’s visit with the Seahawks has been extended into Friday as the two sides work towards finalizing a deal. 
The Panthers were hoping to retain Dickson, but he found a sizable market this week. The Seahawks are keenly interested, especially after losing star Jimmy Graham to the Packers.
Dickson, 31 this summer, was mainly used as a secondary blocking tight end for most of his stay with the Panthers. However, he got a chance to shine last year when starting tight end Greg Olsen was lost to injury. He racked up 437 receiving yards and a touchdown last season, an improvement over his 370 receiving yards from 2014-16.
Dickson is also on the Falcons’ radar as they seek a complementary tight end to play behind/with Austin Hooper. From the sound of it, Seattle may beat them to the punch.